Wednesday, August 01, 2012

RIP Gore Vidal

by digby

Now that was uncivil. In the very best way.

They don't make lefties like him anymore and more's the pity. He had none of that self-righteous priggishness that overtakes a certain kind of radical, and yet he was a fearless critic of the American system. But he always delivered the bad news with wit, style and an elegant coup de grâce, which is a real gift if you're telling people things they don't want to hear.

One summer, when I was young, I read all his books (up to that time.) And I came away from the experience reeling. It wasn't the historical fiction that blew my mind, it was his very interesting insights into human nature. I think it influenced my view of my fellow man in some ways I've never fully understood.

He remained relevant until the very end. Why it was only a few months ago that he was credited with turning Michele Bachman into a conservative. (She'd read Burr on a train and thought Vidal was "lying" about the founding fathers and decided to get involved.) He must have had a good laugh about that.